Sports log: Butler’s Brad Stevens spurns UCLA’s offer

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According to an ESPN.com report, Butler basketball coach Brad Stevens will not be taking the head coaching job at UCLA. In a text message to ESPN, he said “I’m the coach at Butler.” He guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back NCAA championship games in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, Stevens signed an extension with Butler through the 2021-22 season . . . San Jose State hired Boise State associate coach Dave Wojcik as its new basketball coach. Wojcik, who signed a five-year deal, helped the Broncos reach the NCAA Tournament this season. This will be his first head coaching job . . . Kentucky assistant Matt Insell was hired to take over a struggling Mississippi team, becoming one of the youngest head basketball coaches in Division 1 women’s basketball at 30 years old.

NCAA asks if Miami turned blind eye

The NCAA wants to know if Miami ignored evidence that former booster Nevin Shapiro provided impermissible benefits to Hurricanes’ athletes, coaches or recruits, according to a person who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The NCAA alleged that some Miami officials essentially looked the other way when presented with evidence of Shapiro’s wrongdoing — the heart of the lack of ‘‘institutional control’’ charge. Citing massive impropriety by the NCAA and how it handled the investigation of Miami’s athletic department, the Hurricanes want the case against them thrown out and formally filed a motion Friday to have the case brought to an end.

SOCCER

Busch Stadium to host soccer match

The St. Louis Cardinals said English soccer teams Chelsea and Manchester City will play an exhibition game May 23 at Busch Stadium. It will be the first professional sporting event other than baseball to be held in the ballpark, which opened in 2006. Vicki Bryant, vice president of event services and merchandising for the Cardinals, says the hope is to make a high-profile game an annual event . . . Barcelona manager Tito Vilanova led his first team practice since returning from a 10-week medical stay in New York to treat a throat tumor. Vilanova will not accompany the team to Saturday’s match at Celta Vigo . . . Eric Abidal returned to Barcelona’s first-team squad for the first time since having a liver transplant last year. Abidal underwent surgery to remove a liver tumor in March 2011 and returned to the team before the end of that season. Doctors determined last spring that he needed a liver transplant.

MISCELLANY

White: UFC to return to Boston Aug. 17

The UFC is coming back to Boston. UFC president Dana White tweeted the UFC will hold an event “at TD Garden on August 17th for the launch of Fox Sports 1.” This will be the second UFC fight in Boston. The first was in August of 2010 . . . The Detroit Red Wings signed former Western Michigan defenseman Dan DeKeyser to a two-year contract. He was considered the top college hockey free agent . . . Defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky agreed to a two-year contract extension with the New York Islanders . . . The St. Louis Blues told the operators of the Peoria (Ill.) Civic Center that the club’s minor league affiliate will leave after this season. The team will pay a $90,000 penalty because two years are left on the lease . . . David
Ferrer advanced to the final at the Sony Open in Key Biscayne, Fla., beating Tommy Haas, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. Ferrer will face Andy Murray, who topped Richard Gasquet, 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-2 . . . The deal for Mark Martin to replace Denny Hamlin apparently fell apart, with Michael Waltrip Racing announcing Martin will only drive Hamlin’s car at Martinsville . . . Authorities said Reid Fliehr, the son of professional wrestler Ric Flair, was found dead in a Charlotte, N.C., hotel room Friday. A police statement said there are no signs of foul play . . . Usain Bolt will compete at a meet in Rio de Janeiro Sunday, where he will attempt to break his 150-meter world record.
Oscar Pistorius was originally expected to participate to promote the 2016 Olympics . . .
Heather McPhie
defended her moguls title at the US Freestyle Championships in Heavenly, Calif., and
Bradley Wilson took the men’s event.